Tibetan Nomad Dies in Self-Immolation

Tibetan sources say a 31-year-old nomad has died in remote eastern Tibet after setting himself on fire, in a protest against Chinese rule and resettlement and land policies.

Tibetan exile sources say Tenzin Sharab, the oldest of five siblings, recently spoke with friends about the difficulties of living under Chinese rule in Qinghai's Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. They said he voiced fears for the survival of Tibetan culture and religion and said his family had recently undergone forced resettlement.

The May 27 immolation death -- the first reported in the Yushu area of China's Qinghai province -- brings the toll of Tibetan self-immolations to 118 since early 2009.

In a recent interview, the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama told India's national television he is saddened by the rising number of self-immolations. He attributed the spike to the stresses of living in "constant fear" of Chinese authorities.